MANSFIELD — The sights and sounds in South Park were a bit unusual Saturday.
Men wore breeches and tricorne hats while women donned ankle-length dresses and corsets. Smoke circled around tiny campfires. The echo of hammer striking steel and 18th century musket fire rattled through the trees.
American Heritage Days had returned. The annual event is hosted by the Richland Early American Center for History, a non-profit focused on historical preservation and education.
Re-enactors demonstrated everyday activities of 18th and 19th century life, such as dancing, making yarn, cooking over an open hearth and forging steel.
Maryann Gramo helped children plant seeds in the South Park garden.
“We’re going to plant mostly natives and plants that would have been planted in 18th century,” Gramo said. “We have a vegetable section, then we have in a culinary herbal bed, medicinal herbal bed, and a dye bed for growing dye plants.”
The Richland Early American Center for History took over maintenance of the garden earlier this year. Gramo said she intends for it to remain a teaching garden for kids.
“Today, I’ve had children planting radish seeds and garlic and coupled herbs and grinding up some mint in the mortar and pestle,” she said.
American Heritage Days continues Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with the following special events:
10:30 a.m. 18th century musket demonstration
11:30 a.m. The Colonel Crawford Story presentation by Mark Cory
12:30 p.m. 18th century drill and tactics
1 p.m. Women in the 18th Century presentation by Julie Rossington
2 p.m. Many Faces of Old Glory presentation by Vane Scott
3:30 p.m. Musket Demonstration
The event is free to the public. All Sports Concession – The Star-Spangled Express will be on site with food available for purchase.
